Leading Columbia were senior Maxim Michel with a team-high 25 points and sophomore Robert Gordon with 14 points. The Blue Devils were led by senior Brandon Waiters, who scored 26 points in the losing effort.

“(Michel) is our best offensive player,” Hill said. “He never really makes stupid plays. He is a smart player, and nine times out of 10 he will make the right play.”

Trailing by seven points, the Blue Devils put on the press and ended the first half on a 10-0 run to take the lead 34-31 at halftime.

“We didn’t execute,” Hill said of how his team ended the half. “We gave them 10 straight points, and their points were all coming off of silly turnovers.”

Once the second half started, Michel and the Cougars took over. He scored the first eight point of the half and 12 of the Cougars’ 19 during their 19-4 run to give Columbia a 50-38 lead.

The Cougars led 55-42 at the end of the third quarter.

“(We) just have to be patient,” Hill said to his team at halftime. “We just have to pass it back and forth and progress up the court slowly.”

In the fourth quarter, Newark Central cut Columbia’s lead to eight with six minutes to go. But after a timeout, the Cougars scored the next seven points to take their biggest lead of the game, at 15 points, capped off with a pair of free throws from Gordon.

The Blue Devils would not let up, continuing to play the full court press and making it a 70-61 game with 1:54 remaining.

Out of Central’s timeout, Columbia changed up their offensive strategy, holding onto the ball as long as possible.

“I didn’t want the chance to take a bad shot,” Hill said of his late-game strategy. “The only shot I told them to take was wide open layups.”

It paid off as the Cougars ran down the clock to finish the game with the 72-63 victory.

Columbia plays Thursday on the road against Newark Tech High School.

Stephen Valenti is participating in a hyperlocal journalism partnership between The Alternative Press and Seton Hall University's Department of Communication & The Arts designed to give students real-world experience.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - At the last two Development Committee meetings, Bob Zuckerman, Executive Director of the South Orange Village Alliance (SOVCA), provided updates about restaurant and store openings and closings, as well as potential new tenants coming to South Orange.

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Come to Sadie's to buy your sweetie the perfect Valentine's Day gift. We have locally made jewelry, vegan perfume, unique valentine cards, scratch off maps for those who travel and other fun gifts - something for every honey. Of course if you are looking for something to wear on your romantic night out or a fun single's night we have that, too.

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SPRINGFIELD, NJ – Hit by a cannon ball, it survived the Revolutionary War. Sunday, Feb. 18, there is the Springfield Historical Society Open House at the Cannon Ball House. It will be open to the public from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, announced today the world premiere of UNMASKED, which will feature some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most iconic work and the stories behind its creation, along with new music and memories from his extraordinary life and career, will open its ...